50
Qāf
Qāf
Although all scholars agree that Qāf is a Makkan sūrah, some maintain that v. 38 is from the Madinan period (Āl, Q). The sūrah takes its name from the mention of the Arabic letter qāf at the beginning and is known to some as al-Bāsiqāt, “The Towering,” after the reference to date palms towering with layered spathes in v. 10 (Sy, Itqān). It could also be understood to be the “Sūrah of the Threat,” since of the six times that threat or “warning” (waʿīd) is employed in the Quran, four occur in this sūrah. Just as the previous sūrah criticized those who claim to believe, but have not yet realized the fullness of faith, this sūrah criticizes those who do not believe in the prophethood of Muhammad and the Hereafter (Āl).
Many scholars consider Qāf to mark the beginning of the “separated” (mafaṣṣal) sūrahs, the shorter sūrahs whose length leads to the more frequent appearance of the basmalah—In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful—which marks the beginning of each new sūrah. It is reported that in later years, the Prophet would recite Qāf from the pulpit during the sermon of the Friday congregational prayer (Q). He is also reported to have read Qāf and Sūrah 54, al-Qamar, during the two ʿīds (the Feast of Sacrifice and the Feast of Breaking Fast; Āl, Q) and to have often recited Qāf during the morning prayer (Āl, Q). The Prophet’s frequent recitation of this sūrah has led some to consider it as among the greatest of sūrahs (Āl).
After beginning with a reference to the Quran and addressing those who reject the Prophet and deny Resurrection (vv. 1–5), the sūrah calls one to reflect upon the wonders of creation as evidence of God’s Omnipotence (vv. 6–11). A brief reference to previous communities that rejected the prophets sent to them (vv. 12–15) leads into the main subject of the sūrah, death and the disparate ends of the believers and the disbelievers in the Hereafter (vv. 16–35). Another brief allusion to past generations (vv. 36–37) paves the way for an injunction to be mindful of death (vv. 38–44) and a final injunction to the Prophet to remind those who fear God’s Threat (v. 45).
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
¡ Qāf. By the glorious Quran; * nay, but they marvel that a warner has come unto them from among their own; so the disbelievers say, “This is an astounding thing! + What! When we are dead and have become dust? That is a far-fetched return!” J Well do We know what the earth diminishes from them, and with Us there is a preserving Book. Z Nay, they denied the truth when it came unto them; so they are now in a confounded situation. j Have they not looked upon the sky above them, how We built it and adorned it, and [how it] has no rifts? z The earth We spread out, and cast therein firm mountains, and caused every delightful kind to grow therein, { as a source of insight and a reminder for every penitent servant. | And We sent down blessed water from the sky whereby We grew gardens and the harvested grain, Ċ and the date palms towering with layered spathes, Ě as provision for His servants. And We revive a dead land therewith—likewise shall be the coming forth. Ī Before them the people of Noah, the inhabitants of al-Rass, and Thamūd denied, ĺ as did ʿĀd, Pharaoh, and the brethren of Lot, Ŋ the inhabitants of the thicket, and the people of Tubbaʿ—each denied the messengers; so My Threat came due. Ś Did We then weary in the first creation? Nay, but they are in doubt regarding a new creation. Ū We did indeed create man, and We know what his soul whispers to him; and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. ź When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left, Ɗ no word does he utter without a ready watcher beside him. ƚ And the agony of death comes with the truth. That is what you were avoiding. Ȋ And the trumpet is blown. That is the Day of the Threat. ! Then every soul comes, with it a driver and a witness: " “You were indeed heedless of this. Now We have removed from you your cover; so today your sight is piercing.” # And his companion says, “This is what I have ready.” $ “Cast you both into Hell every stubborn disbeliever, % every hinderer of good, every transgressor, every doubter & who has set up another god along with God. Cast him into the severe punishment.” ' His companion will say, “Our Lord, I did not make him rebel; rather, he was far astray.” ( He will say, “Dispute not before Me, since I have already presented unto you the Threat. ) With Me the Word is not changed, and I do not wrong My servants.” Ð That Day We shall say to Hell, “Have you been filled?” And it will say, “Is there more?” Ñ And the Garden will be brought nigh unto the reverent, not distant: Ò “This is what is promised for every oft turning keeper, Ó who fears the Compassionate unseen and comes with a penitent heart. Ô Enter it in peace. This is the day of abiding.” Õ Therein they shall have whatsoever they will; and with Us there is more. Ö How many a generation before them have We destroyed who were of greater prowess than them? Then they searched about in the lands: “Is there any refuge?” × Truly in that is a reminder for whosoever has a heart, or gives ear as witness. Ø And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them in six days, and no fatigue touched Us. Ù So bear patiently that which they say, and hymn the praise of thy Lord before the rising of the sun and before the setting. @ And at night glorify Him, and after prostrations. A And listen on the Day when the caller calls from near at hand, B on the Day when they hear the Cry of Truth; that is the Day of coming forth. C Truly We give life and We cause death, and unto Us is the journey’s end. D That Day the earth is split asunder from about them—as they hasten forth. That is a gathering easy for Us. E We know best that which they say. Thine is not to compel them. So remind, by means of the Quran, those who fear My Threat.
Commentary
¡ Qāf. By the glorious Quran;
1 The letter qāf is among the separated letters (al-muqaṭṭaʿāt) that are found at the beginning of twenty-nine sūrahs and whose meaning is considered by most commentators to be known only to God; see 2:1c. Qāf is understood by many as a proper name for an emerald mountain whose reality encompasses the earth (IJ, IK, Q, Ṭ). This is not a literal physical mountain, but a cosmic mountain that represents the created order as such. Others say that Qāf is one of the Names of God (IJ, Q, Ṭ) or that it represents the Divine Names that begin with the letter qāf (IJ, Q), such as “the Powerful” (al-Qadīr), “the Paramount” (al-Qahhār), and “the Holy” (al-Quddūs). Still others say that Qāf is one of the names of the Quran (IJ, Q, Ṭ). A few commentators say that Qāf is the name of a mountain in Hell (IJ). This is one of two verses in which the revelation is referred to as a glorious Quran (cf. 85:21), which means the utmost in nobility, magnanimity, grace, and glory.
***
* nay, but they marvel that a warner has come unto them from among their own; so the disbelievers say, “This is an astounding thing!
2 Here and in the almost identical 38:4, the disbelievers’ incredulity may result from the idea of God’s choosing as a prophet one who previously did not have a position of influence among them, as when they ask, Why was this Quran not sent down to a great man from one of the two towns? (43:31). It may also result from God’s choice of a human being as His Messenger, as in 25:7: What ails this Messenger, who eats food and walks in the markets? Why is there not an angel sent down unto him to be a warner with him? (see also 6:8–9; 6:50; 11:12; 14:10; 17:94; 23:33; 36:15; 41:14; 54:24; 64:6c). For other verses that speak of the disbelievers marveling at this phenomenon, see 7:63c; 10:2; 25:20; 38:4c. Alternately, this verse could indicate that they are amazed that they could be deemed to be in need of a message and especially of a warning or admonition (JJ).
***
+ What! When we are dead and have become dust? That is a far-fetched return!”
3 These are the words of the disbelievers when they disparage the Quranic teaching regarding bodily resurrection; see also 17:49; 36:78; 37:16–17, 53; 56:47; 79:11.
***
J Well do We know what the earth diminishes from them, and with Us there is a preserving Book.
4 This verse implies that God is able to take into account all parts of their bodies that have decomposed. A preserving Book may be a reference to the Preserved Tablet (85:22), which contains all that has been decreed by God (JJ), or to the book in which all of one’s deeds are recorded; see 18:49c.
***
Z Nay, they denied the truth when it came unto them; so they are now in a confounded situation.
5 In this context many understand the truth as a reference to the Quran (JJ, Q, Ṭ), but it may also refer to Islam or to the Prophet (Q). Confounded translates marīj, which derives from the verb marija, indicating something that has been completely mixed up so that its true nature cannot be discerned. Here it is understood to mean that they are unable to distinguish truth from falsehood (Ṭ), that they are misguided or even iniquitous (Q, Ṭ), or that they are of many different opinions (Q, Ṭ) and thus in an ambiguous and precarious situation (Ṭ) because they believe one thing and then another.
***
j Have they not looked upon the sky above them, how We built it and adorned it, and [how it] has no rifts?
6–11 This is one of several passages to call human beings to reflect upon the beauty, proportionality, and bounty of the natural world as evidence of God’s Mercy and wisdom and of the Resurrection; see 16:79–81; 24:43–50; 26:7–8; 33:27; 35:27–28; 36:71–73; 45:1–5.
6 Here the sky can also mean the heavens or be read as an allusion to all of creation; see 67:3–4c. That creation has no rifts means that there is no disproportionality and that each thing is in its proper place, since He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in truth (6:73; 16:3; 29:44; 39:5; 45:22; 64:3).
***
z The earth We spread out, and cast therein firm mountains, and caused every delightful kind to grow therein,
7 See 15:19c. Every delightful kind can be taken as a reference to all that is created. In the present verse, every . . . kind translates kulli zawj, which can also mean “every pair,” in which case it is similar to 51:49: And of all things We created pairs.
***
{ as a source of insight and a reminder for every penitent servant.
8 Everything that exists serves as a reminder of God’s Might and Power and an indication of His Oneness (Ṭ), because “in each thing there is a sign, indicating that He is the One.” Every penitent servant means all those whose hearts turn to God (Ṭ). For the Quranic understanding of repentance and turning to God, see 4:17–18c; 42:25c.
***
| And We sent down blessed water from the sky whereby We grew gardens and the harvested grain,
9 God’s sending down water relates to the giving of all life. Although many verses refer to God’s sending down water (e.g., 23:18; 27:60; 31:10; 35:27; 39:21; 41:39; 43:11), the present verse provides the only reference to blessed water. Water is understood in the Quran as the source of all life, as in 21:30: And We made every living thing from water. Other verses allude to God’s ability to remove water, thus life and blessings, at any time (e.g., 18:41; 67:30).
***
Ċ and the date palms towering with layered spathes,
10 The date palm was for the Arabs the best of plants. It can thus be understood as a reference to the highest of God’s Blessings in the physical realm and as an allusion to all forms of fruit and nourishment.
***
Ě as provision for His servants. And We revive a dead land therewith—likewise shall be the coming forth.
11 As provision for His servants refers to the waters, gardens, grain, and date palms in the previous verses. God revives a dead land with the water that is sent down, as in 16:65: And God sends down water from the sky, and thereby revives the earth after its death. Surely in this is a sign for a people who hear (see also 2:164; 41:39; 45:5; 57:17). The coming forth refers to the Resurrection, meaning that just as God has created all that is mentioned in vv. 9–10, so too will He bring forth all human beings and jinn. This argument is made more explicit in 30:19: He brings forth the living from the dead, and brings forth the dead from the living, and He revives the earth after its death. Even so shall you be brought forth (cf. 16:65; 25:48–49; 30:50; 35:9; 36:33; 43:11; 45:5). In all such verses, the revival of the earth can also be taken as a reference to the manner in which God revives the hearts of those who are spiritually dead.
***
Ī Before them the people of Noah, the inhabitants of al-Rass, and Thamūd denied,
ĺ as did ʿĀd, Pharaoh, and the brethren of Lot,
Ŋ the inhabitants of the thicket, and the people of Tubbaʿ—each denied the messengers; so My Threat came due.
12–14 Before them means before the idolaters who oppose the Prophet (Ṭ). For the Quranic account of Noah and the flood, see 11:25–48; 23:23–30; 26:105–21; Sūrah 71. The inhabitants of al-Rass (cf. 25:38) is an enigmatic reference that some understand to mean one of the towns of the tribe of Thamūd (Ṭ). Others understand al-Rass to mean “the well” and interpret it as a reference to the well in which the people spoken of in 36:13–27 threw the prophet whom God had sent to them (Ṭ). The ʿĀd and the Thamūd were pre-Islamic Arabian tribes who rejected the prophets sent to them. For the account of the ʿĀd see 7:65–72; 11:50–60; 41:15–16; 54:18–21. For that of the Thamūd, see 7:73–79; 11:61–68; 26:141–58; 54:24–31. The story of Lot and his people is discussed most extensively in 11:77–83; see also 7:80–84; 15:57–77; 21:74–75; 26:160–73; 27:54–58; 29:28–35; 37:133–38. The thicket translates al-aykah, which according to some is a proper name. The inhabitants of the thicket are either the people of Midian, who are said to have rejected the prophet Shuʿayb (see 7:85–93; 11:84–95; 26:176–89; 29:36–37), or a second community to which Shuʿayb was sent (Mw). For Tubbaʿ, most likely a reference to a line of kings in southern Arabia, see 44:37c.
***
Ś Did We then weary in the first creation? Nay, but they are in doubt regarding a new creation.
15 This verse is a rebuke to what the idolaters say in v. 3. They are questioned as to how it is that they could doubt God’s ability to resurrect when they have the evidence of God’s ability to create everything that is around them (Ṭ). The rhetorical question is answered in 46:33: Have they not considered that God, Who created the heavens and the earth and did not weary in their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yea! He is Powerful over all things. In the present verse, the first creation means the creation of this world. When confronted with the Quranic teaching regarding bodily resurrection, the reaction of the disbelievers is that they say, What! When we are bones and dust, shall we indeed be resurrected as a new creation? (17:49, 98). In this interpretation new creation refers to the Resurrection; see also 13:5; 14:19; 34:7; 35:16–17c. New creation can also be understood as a reference to the perpetual creation of the world, in which God’s creative act is renewed at every instant (K). That most human beings are in doubt regarding a new creation indicates that they are unable to see because their sight is not yet piercing (see v. 22).
***
Ū We did indeed create man, and We know what his soul whispers to him; and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.
16 Man translates al-insān, which also means the human being as such. In this context, some understand it as a reference to Adam and God’s knowledge of his inclination to eat of what had been forbidden to him (Q). Most, however, see it as a reference to God’s Knowledge of all that lies within breasts (3:119; 5:7; 8:43; 11:5; 31:23; 35:38; 39:7; 42:24; 57:6; 64:4; 67:13), in which case it means that God knows the true intentions behind all words and actions, even when the speaker or agent is unaware of them. The second phrase could also be read, “and We know that of which his soul whispers” (Aj).
We are nearer to him than his jugular vein is problematic for many commentators. Some seek to avoid the literal meaning, saying that “we” refers to two angels (IK). Others understand this verse as connected to the following verse so that they read, “We are nearer to him than his jugular vein when the two receivers receive,” indicating that God continues to have power over the two receivers and that, although He has appointed two angels to each person, He is not in need of them in order to know what the person is doing (Z). Although this second reading is part of what is implied, this is one of several verses that indicate the Immanence of God in all of creation (see, e.g., 2:115), that the Divine Reality is the substrate of every reality, and that God is the nearest and closest Reality to the human being. God is with human beings wherever they may be (see 57:4) and is always close to them, but human beings, nonetheless, often fail to be with or close to God and thus remain far from Him.
***
ź When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left,
Ɗ no word does he utter without a ready watcher beside him.
17–18 The two receivers refers to the two attendant angels charged with recording all of an individual’s deeds (JJ, Ṭ); see also 43:80; 82:10–12. Each angel could be said to be a ready watcher, but the angel who sits on the right recording good deeds is believed to be superior to the angel who sits on the left recording evil deeds, often telling him to wait to see if an evil deed is erased through repentance or asking forgiveness (Ṭ, Z). Seated is understood to mean “observing” or “keeping watch” (Ṭ). When one stands for judgment on the Day of Resurrection, the scroll in which one’s deeds are recorded is unfolded as a book one will meet wide open (17:13), and it is said, Read your book! On this Day, your soul suffices as a reckoner against you (17:14, Ṭ); see 17:13–14c.
***
ƚ And the agony of death comes with the truth. That is what you were avoiding.
19 Agony translates sakrah, which is related to the most common word for “intoxicants” (sakar) and “intoxication” (sukrān). Sakrat al-mawt, or agony of death, is thus understood to mean the state of confusion brought on by the severity of death (Ṭ), which for some may be a state of fear and for others a state of ease (Aj). But given that sakrah is said to come with the truth, or “through the truth,” others see it as a reference to the wisdom that comes with death (Z), meaning the vision of the Unseen Realm. In this sense it could be understood as an allusion to the transition from one state of being to another that accompanies death. Just as intoxication separates one from the true self, the agony of death describes the manner in which death comes between a person and the self, indicating the transition from one state of being to another.
Here the truth most likely indicates the reality of death, since every soul shall taste death (3:185; 21:35; 29:57; Z), or the reality of “the affair,” meaning that one will now know the joy of death or its sorrow (Aj). The truth can also be understood to mean God (Ṭ), as “the Truth” is one of the Names of God. That in the second sentence refers to death (Aj, Z) or the truth (Ṭ). From a Quranic perspective, the disbelievers seek to avoid both, whereas the believers embrace them. That is what you were avoiding can be understood as addressed directly to readers or as recounting the address of God or the angels to the disbelievers at the moment of death.
***
Ȋ And the trumpet is blown. That is the Day of the Threat.
20 The blowing of the trumpet on the Day of Judgment is mentioned in several verses (see 6:73; 18:99; 20:102; 23:101; 27:87; 36:51; 39:68c; 69:13; 74:8; 78:18c).
***
! Then every soul comes, with it a driver and a witness:
21 A driver and a witness refers to two angels, one who drives a person to the place where all souls are gathered and another who bears witness to the deeds one has performed (Ṭ, Z), or to a single angel who performs both functions (Z). Others understand the driver to be an angel and the witness to be one’s own soul (Ṭ), as in 17:14: On this Day, your soul suffices as a reckoner against you. This verse could also be understood as a reference to every soul or as a reference only to the souls of the disbelievers (Ṭ).
***
" “You were indeed heedless of this. Now We have removed from you your cover; so today your sight is piercing.”
22 Today your sight is piercing, so that now souls are able to see what they could not see before (JJ). At the moment of death, the veils that cover one’s vision in this life are lifted and one sees the reality of creation and of one’s own condition (see 67:10–11c). Some Muslims maintain that such piercing sight can be attained before the moment of physical death by those who have purified their souls, since the cover is attachment to the sensory experiences of this world. In commenting upon this verse, Ibn ʿArabī thus writes, “The believer who is granted the unveiling of things ‘as they are’ is granted [the return from the many to the One]. . . . And this is before he leaves this world” (Futūḥāt, III 388.33–34). In his philosophical commentary on Sūrah 36, Mullā Ṣadrā writes, “The soul’s inner faculties will become powerful and piercing because of its perception of matters related to the next world, as in [God’s] saying, Now We have removed from you your cover; so today your sight is piercing. The unseen forms, which store the results of the soul’s actions, its ambitions, the intentions of its disposition, and the aims and shortcomings of its aspirations, will be witnessed.”
***
# And his companion says, “This is what I have ready.”
23 His companion means the angel charged with overseeing the person (JJ), which could also be understood as the driver from v. 21 (Ṭ). Companion might also refer to the jinn or satan who is assigned to an individual, as in 43:36: And whosoever turns blindly away from the remembrance of the Compassionate, We assign to him a satan who is then a companion unto him (Z). In this latter interpretation, the verse would refer only to disbelievers, though many take it as a reference to all human beings (Ṭ). This is what I have ready are the words of his companion upon presenting the record of deeds for the reckoning (Ṭ).
***
$ “Cast you both into Hell every stubborn disbeliever,
% every hinderer of good, every transgressor, every doubter
& who has set up another god along with God. Cast him into the severe punishment.”
24–26 Hinderer of good means one who does not render unto God and to others that to which they have a right (Ṭ). With regard to God’s Commands, this means one who does not pay the obligatory alms (zakāh). With regard to other human beings, it means honoring contracts and dealing justly. Transgressor indicates one who violates others by reviling or oppressing them (Ṭ).
***
' His companion will say, “Our Lord, I did not make him rebel; rather, he was far astray.”
27 For the meaning of his companion, see 50:23c. I did not make him rebel declares the companion’s innocence of what the person does (Ṭ), as when Satan says to human beings after they have followed his injunction to disbelieve, Surely I am quit of you. Truly I fear God, Lord of the worlds (59:16), and when Satan declares, I had no authority over you, save that I called you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me, but blame yourselves (14:22). Such verses indicate that all human beings bear responsibility for the state of their soul and would not incline to suggestions from Satan, were they not already far astray.
***
( He will say, “Dispute not before Me, since I have already presented unto you the Threat.
28 Human beings received ample warning during the life of this world, since there has been no community but that a warner has passed among them (35:24; cf. 16:36). Thus some read Threat here as a reference to the Quran (Ṭ), since to warn people of the impending punishment is considered a function of all revelations and is a central theme of the Quran. To dispute before God on the Day of Judgment is therefore futile, since such people did not avail themselves of the warning when it came, and all of their iniquities are now on display.
***
) With Me the Word is not changed, and I do not wrong My servants.”
Ð That Day We shall say to Hell, “Have you been filled?” And it will say, “Is there more?”
29–30 The Word is not changed refers to God’s Decree (Ṭ) or to the Quran itself, as in 6:115 and 18:27: None alters His Words. It can also be understood as a reference to both, for in 32:13 God says, I shall surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together. The question posed by Hell, Is there more? is interpreted by some to mean, “I am full” (Ṭ), while others say it means, “Give me more” (Ṭ). Both interpretations are possible depending upon how one understands aḥādīth such as the following: “As for the Fire, it will not be filled until God puts His Foot upon it, saying to it, ‘Enough, Enough.’ Then it will be full, and it folds in upon itself. And God will not wrong anyone among His creation” (Q, Ṭ). Were Hell to say, Is there more? before the Foot of God, which is often understood as a symbol of Divine Mercy, is placed upon it, it could be read as a request for more. Were it to be said afterwards, it could be read as an acceptance of God’s Decree or as a query as to whether it had fulfilled its task by accepting all whom God had decreed for it.
***
Ñ And the Garden will be brought nigh unto the reverent, not distant:
31 See 26:90–91c.
***
Ò “This is what is promised for every oft turning keeper,
32 Oft turning translates awwāb, which indicates someone who is penitent and could also mean one who is constantly turned to God and thus remembers Him in all things; see 38:17c. Keeper indicates a person who keeps the Commands of God and avoids falling into sin (Ṭ). Translated according to the interpretation of these terms, this verse would mean, “everyone who is penitent and steadfast.”
***
Ó who fears the Compassionate unseen and comes with a penitent heart.
33 Fears the Compassionate unseen (cf. 36:11) can be interpreted as a reference to worshipping God while God remains unseen or worshipping God in seclusion (see also 67:12c). To come with a penitent heart means to come with a heart that has turned away from what displeases God to what makes God content (Ṭ).
***
Ô Enter it in peace. This is the day of abiding.”
34 Peace translates salām, which also denotes “greeting” and “safety.” Enter it in peace is thus interpreted to mean, “Enter secure from every fear,” or “Enter with the greeting of peace” (JJ), as in 56:25–26: They hear no idle talk therein, nor incitement to sin, save that “Peace! Peace!” is uttered (cf. 7:46; 10:10; 13:23–24; 14:23; 16:32; 19:62; 25:75; 33:44; 36:58). Thus the Garden is also known as the Abode of Peace (6:127; 10:25). That this is the day of abiding indicates that it is the day on which everlasting life in the Garden will begin (JJ, Ṭ).
***
Õ Therein they shall have whatsoever they will; and with Us there is more.
35 That they shall have whatsoever they will (cf. 39:34; 42:22) is reaffirmed in 56:20–21, which speaks of their having fruits as they choose, and the meat of birds as they desire (cf. 52:22). And with Us there is more indicates the vision of God (Ṭ), which is considered the greatest blessing, beyond all else, that one can desire in Paradise. When viewed in contrast to the query of Hell at the end of v. 30, Is there more?, it could also be understood to mean that, whereas the punishment of Hell is set and delimited, the rewards of the Garden are infinite.
***
Ö How many a generation before them have We destroyed who were of greater prowess than them? Then they searched about in the lands: “Is there any refuge?”
36 This verse refers to those tribes and peoples mentioned in vv. 12–14. The same rhetorical question is asked of previous generations in several Quranic verses with slight variations (see 6:6; 17:17; 19:74, 98; 20:128; 32:26; 36:31; 38:3). Other verses refer to similar destruction of towns (see 7:4; 21:11; 22:45, 48; 47:13). In all such verses, it is stated or implied that such people were destroyed for their iniquity and their refusal to accept the teachings of the messengers whom God had sent to them; see 6:6c; 47:13c. That they wandered in the land asking, Is there any refuge? implies that the disbelievers and the iniquitous had no place in which to find security in this life or the Hereafter.
***
× Truly in that is a reminder for whosoever has a heart, or gives ear as witness.
37 In Arabic, to say that one “has a heart” is to say that one’s heart is alive and awake, which also implies the ability to understand (Ṭ). Whosoever has a heart can thus mean, “Whoever has a heart that is aware, because if one’s heart is not aware, it is as if he has no heart” (Z); see 2:7c. Gives ear as witness can mean “present with his intelligence, because whosoever is not present in mind, it is as if he is absent” (Z). As witness could also be rendered “and is a witness,” in which case this verse would, from a Quranic perspective, refer to the three main faculties through which understanding is achieved: the heart, the ears, and the eyes. When interpreted to mean “and is a witness,” this verse is also understood as a reference to the People of the Book, whose books Muslims believe bear witness to the prophethood of Muhammad (Ṭ, Z; see 7:157c), or to the believer who hears the Quran and bears witness to it (Ṭ, Z). It can also be seen as a reference to the hypocrite who hears the Quran, but does not benefit from it (Ṭ).
***
Ø And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them in six days, and no fatigue touched Us.
38 Regarding the creation of the earth in six days (cf. 10:3; 11:7; 25:29; 32:4; 57:4), see 7:54c. No fatigue touched Us is understood as a response to the assertion that God rested on the seventh day after creating the earth and all that is in it (JJ, Z). Regarding the preclusion of fatigue or weariness from the Divine Nature, see 2:255c.
***
Ù So bear patiently that which they say, and hymn the praise of thy Lord before the rising of the sun and before the setting.
39 Cf. 20:130. Bear patiently that which they say (cf. 20:130; 38:17; 73:10) enjoins the Prophet and, by extension, all Muslims to bear patiently the chiding of disbelievers and naysayers. The command to hymn the praise of thy Lord (cf. 15:98; 20:130; 40:56; 52:48; 110:3) indicates that one should not dwell upon the words of disbelievers, but instead turn to God. According to some commentators, before the rising of the sun refers to the morning prayer and before the setting refers to the late afternoon prayer (Ṭ), though others say that before the setting refers to both afternoon prayers (JJ, Z). On a night of the full moon, the Prophet is reported to have said to a group of his Companions, “You will see your Lord as you see this moon, and you will have no trouble looking at Him. So whosoever can should not miss the offering of prayers before sunrise [fajr prayer] and before sunset [ʿaṣr prayer].” Then the Prophet recited, And hymn the praise of thy Lord before the rising of the sun and before the setting.
***
@ And at night glorify Him, and after prostrations.
40 And at night glorify Him (cf. 52:49) refers to the obligatory night prayer (Q), or both the sunset prayer and the night prayer (JJ, Ṭ, Z), or the two supererogatory prayer cycles before the morning prayer (Q). It can also be taken as a general command to glorify God throughout the night (JJ, Q) and thus to practice the night vigil (Z); regarding the night vigil, see 11:114; 17:79; 21:20; 20:130; 25:63–64; 73:6, 20; 76:26; 73:1–2c. After prostrations is taken by some as a command to glorify God after each prayer. According to Ibn ʿAbbās, “The receding of the stars [52:49] is the two prayer cycles before the morning prayer, and after prostrations is the two prostrations after the sunset prayer” (Q). According to some, v. 39 refers to performing all of the obligatory prayers, though only two are mentioned specifically, while v. 40 refers to supererogatory prayers at night and after the prescribed prayers.
***
A And listen on the Day when the caller calls from near at hand,
B on the Day when they hear the Cry of Truth; that is the Day of coming forth.
41–42 And listen to My Words (JJ) either on the Day when the caller calls, referring to the Archangel Seraphiel’s blowing his trumpet and heralding the end of the world (see 39:68c; 78:18c), or “regarding the Day when the caller calls,” meaning the description of that day provided in the Quran (Z). Some say that Seraphiel blows the trumpet, while Gabriel calls (Z). From near at hand refers to a place close to Heaven or a place close to those who are called (Z). In the case of a place close to Heaven, it is interpreted to mean Jerusalem (Ṭ, Z). In the case of a place close to those who are called, it is interpreted to mean “from beneath their feet” (Z). The Cry of Truth most likely refers to the second blast of Seraphiel’s trumpet, when all souls are brought forth from their graves and gathered before God.
***
C Truly We give life and We cause death, and unto Us is the journey’s end.
43 Although the plain sense of We give life and We cause death (cf. 15:23) indicates that God alone controls every phase of existence, it is also understood as an allusion to spiritual life and death. As Ismāʿīl Haqqī writes, “We give life to hearts that are dead and cause carnal souls that are alive to die. And unto Us is the journey’s end for one whose carnal soul has died and whose heart is alive.” Echoing the famous verse Truly we are God’s, and unto Him we return (2:156), that the journey’s end is unto God is reaffirmed in several verses (see 2:285; 3:28; 5:18; 22:48; 24:42; 31:14; 35:18; 40:3; 42:15; 60:4; 64:3), though this is the only verse where it is phrased in the first-person plural, unto Us.
***
D That Day the earth is split asunder from about them—as they hasten forth. That is a gathering easy for Us.
44 The earth being split asunder is among the many signs of the Last Day (see also 19:90), along with the heavens being rent, the mountains falling, and the seas swelling over. In this case only the earth is mentioned, since it pertains to the bodies being brought forth from their graves for the Resurrection. That is a gathering easy for Us reasserts one of the central themes of this sūrah, that just as God brought forth the first creation, so too can He bring about the Resurrection, as in 29:19: Have they not considered how God originates creation, then brings it back? Truly that is easy for God (see also 64:7c).
***
E We know best that which they say. Thine is not to compel them. So remind, by means of the Quran, those who fear My Threat.
45 That God knows best that which they say (cf. 20:104) provides the rationale for enduring insults with patience (see v. 39). As true speech is that of the heart, and just as some hypocrites profess faith though they disbelieve (see 63:1c), some who have faith in their hearts may appear outwardly to reject the truth. This verse is thus related to the understanding that God knows best what they conceal (3:167; 84:23) and what is in their souls (11:31; see also 17:25), implying that God knows both the inveterate disbelievers and those who simply decry the Prophet due to social norms, but may eventually be among those who are reminded by the Quran of the truth and of their true nature, as happened with several of the Prophet’s early detractors, most notably ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, who later became one of his closest Companions and the second Caliph after his death. Given the general principle in Islam that there is no coercion in religion (2:256), the Prophet is not to compel disbelievers. His function is only to remind human beings through revelation (see 88:21–22), as prophets are only responsible for proclaiming the message (see, e.g., 3:20; 5:92, 99; 13:40; 16:35, 82; 24:54; 29:18; 36:17; 42:48). Those who fear My Threat (see also 87:9–10) is understood by some to mean the believers (JJ), but can be taken more generally to mean all but the most obstinate disbelievers, since every human being is believed to bear the primordial covenant, and thus the remembrance of God, within the depths of his or her soul (see 7:172c; 30:30c).